Restoring the froe | Sharpening and new bitternut hickory handle | Hand tool woodworking

In this video, I restore an antique froe. This tool was forged by a blacksmith from wrought iron in the mid 1800s. Froes are used to precisely split green wood to make many items like shingles, planks, spoon carving blanks, tool handles, and chair parts. The traditional froe has a tapered eye that fits a hardwood handle, allowing the handle to be easily removed for transport. Unlike most edge tools, froes do not need to be razor sharp since they simply act as wedges to split wood along the grain. Therefore, they were typically made from solid wrought iron without a hardened steel edge in the 19th century.

My goal in tool restoration is to make the tool clean and functional while preserving all of the unique signs of its age and history.

0:02 Intro
0:23 Disassembly
1:20 Removing surface rust
4:10 Restoring and sharpening the edge
5:35 Preparing the hickory handle
9:24 Fitting the handle
10:31 Finishing the handle
13:36 Testing on spalted beech